Power lawn mower



Feb. 14, 1950 F. M. APPLE POWER LAWN MOWER s Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 15, 1947 Fig.

Floyd M. App/e INVENTOR.

wWmwyfiM Feb. 14, 1950 F, M. APPLE 2,497,573

POWER LAWN MOWER Filed Dec. 15, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Floyd M. App/e INVENTOR.

BY M /Qw Feb. 14, 1950 F. M. APPLE 2,497,573

POWER LAWN MOWER Filed Dec. 15, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.3.

) Floyd M. App/e INVENTOR.

BY waafim Patented Feb. 1 4, I 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rowan LAWN MOWER Floyd M. Apple, Burlington, N. C. i Application December 15, 1947, Serial No. 791,720

1 4 Claims. (01. 56-253) This invention appertains to novel and useful improvements in power driven lawn mowers.

An object of this invention is to actuate blades on an endless conveyor through the medium of a conventional source of power such as a motor, to swingingly support the blades and conveyor on a suitable frame.

Another object of this invention is to recess the wheels associated with a frame of a lawn mower in order that the wheels may not come into contact with the sides of a building, house, fence or the like.

Another purpose of this invention is to swingingly support a housing from the frame wherein the endless conveyor and blades are positioned.

A further purpose of this invention is to compensate for elevation and depression of the housing in the drive means for the blades.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved means for carrying out all of the above mentioned functions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a five-point suspension mower having a pivoted handle for manual locomotion and improved means for driving or actuating the cutter blades positioned on an endless conveyor.

Another purpose of this invention is to provide a device which is safe to actuate since the blades are recessed within the confines of the 9 main framemember or support thereby obviating the possibility of inadvertently cutting or otherwise injuring a person's leg.

Ancillary objects and features of novelty will become app rent to those skilled in the art, in following the description of the preferred form I ofthe invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: s

Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of the invention;

- Figure 2 is a side view of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, the handle being broken away and illustrated as a continuation;

1 Future 3 is a front view of the invention shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure l and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the endless conveyor, blades thereon, sprocket means for iournalling the endless conveyor and housing therebeneath;

Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view oi aportion oi the endless conveyor and blades associated therewith, and;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the. detail of construction-shown in Flour: 6.

This invention has been developed o Provide a device for more eflicaciously mowing lawns, cutting weeds, and otherwise performing cutting operations on flora.

An improved frame generally indicated at It is provided of many structural elements cooperating to form the said frame. Of course} the preferred material of construction of this frame is metallic and is of suitable strength to support the various appurtenances contiguous to the invention. E i

The said frame is provided with a pair of; opposed recesses l2 and I4 respectively wherein wheels I 6 and it are journalled'. A suitable conling purpose.

ventional shaft 20 is secured to the isaid frame ill adjacent these recesses and any type of conventional bearings may be used for thisQjourhal- Of course, the bearings lustrated at 22 are conventional detachable s lit bearings which may have anti-friction or frictionless bearings associated therewith o in lieu thereof.

The leading edge of the said frame Hi is smoothly contoured at the edges and serves the purpose of a bumper. The central portion of the said frame is composed substantially of a plurality of struts formed in the shape of an H- frame. This H-frame 24 has a suitable jmotor means 26 positioned thereon. Of course, an electric motor or the like may be used in this connection and a cord may extend to a suitable source of power.

A bracket 28 is rigidly secured to the said frame I0 through the medium of screws or the like and is curved in order to properly accommodate a caster generally indicated at 30. It may now be appreciated that the motor means 26 is positioned within the triangular bed formed by the two wheels I6 and I8 and the caster 30. Through this medium, the center of mass of the frame and motor 'means is properly regulated.

A pair of identical bifurcated perches 34 and 36 respectively are secured to the said frame I II and a yoke 38 has its legs pivotally associated therewith through the medium of conventional bolts or pivot pins 40. A suitable handle 42 is secured to the said yoke 38 for actuation of the mower. It will be noted at this point that the caster 30 is received between the yoke when the handle islowered in its lowermost position in order to provide sufficient clearance. A housing 44 is supplied with a pair-of identical, spaced brackets 46 having an arm 48 pivotally received in suitable apertures in each of the said brackets 46. This arm 48 is in actuality a yoke having its ends secured in the respective brackets 48. The center portion of the yoke (see Figure 4) may be positioned in a suitable sling 82, which sling is secured to an eye bolt 54, by means of a conventional nut 58. The enlarged portion of the said eye bolt is pivoted on a stub shaft or pivot pin 58 which is extended through a pair of brackets 80 and 82 respectively, rigidly secured to the cross member of the said H-frame 24.

It is now readily apparent that the housing 44 is capable of being raised and lowered relative to the frame and also being pivoted about the eye bolt as an axis.

Improved means for cutting flora is provided in the said housing 24. Reference is made primarily to Figure wherein this construction is illustrated most effectively. A drive sprocket 88, and a pair of idler sprockets 88 and I0 respectively are iournalled in the said housing. It will be noted at this point that the specific structure of the said housing 44 is as follows. End walls 18 are provided with back and front walls I8 and 80 respectively secured to the upper and lower plates 82 and 84 respectively. An elongated slot 88 is provided in the front wall 80 for the purpose of receiving blades 80 therethrough. An endless conveyor, preferably a chain 82 extends around all of the said sprockets and has a plurality of blades 90 secured thereto at spaced intervals. The rear portion of the said housing 44 is sufficiently deep to accommodate the said blades 80 without having the blades projecting danger-.

ously about and from the said housing at the rear portion thereof. The said blades 80, however, extend through "the slot 88 to perform their cutting operations.

Means for actuating the endless conveyor 82 and therefore the said blades 80 is provided. This last mentioned means consists primarily of a power output shaft 94 associated with the motor means 28 and a pulley 88 rigidly secured to the said power output shaft. A belt 98 or any suitable equivalent drive-means may be associated with the pulley 88 and a complemental pulley I00 is also entrained in this belt system.

A shaft I02 is suitably supported on said frame I0 through the medium of bearing bracket members I04 and I08 respectively which are secured to the said frame I0. A bevel gear I08 is supplied at the terminal of the said shaft I02 and is positioned within a suitable case H0. The cover of this case may be detachable if so desired and a suitable lubricant may be positioned therein.

A conventional frictionless bearing, preferably of the ball type, is indicated at H2 and is positioned within the said case IIO. A shaft having a non-circular bore is indicated at H4 and is journalled in the inner race of the said frictionless bearing H2. The upper end of the said hollow shaft II4 retains a bevel gear II8 which is complemental to the said bevel gear I08 and is driven thereby.

A suitable boss I I8 is applied on the upper plate 82 of the said housing 44 and has a non-circular rod I20 slidable therein. Their non-circular rod is also slidably receivedin a non-circular bore I22 in the center of the said driving sprocket 88. A universal joint I24 is associated with the other end of the said rod I20 and this universal joint also connects a link I28 therewith. The conflguration of the said link I28 is also non-circular in order to conform with the bore of the said hollow shaft 4, wherein it is reciproca-ble.

In order to support the housing 44 while the and I82 respectively are rigidly secured therebeneath. Rollers I88 are Journalled in each of the said perches through the medium of suitable conventional stub shafts.

In operation, the handle 42 is urged manually in order to locomote the frame l0. The motor means 28 actuates the said drive belt 48 or the like which in turn rotates the said shaft I02.

Upon rotation of the said shaft I02 the bevel gears I08 and H8 respectively will be actuated, thereby turning the hollow shaft I I4. As the said hollow shaft I I4 is turned, the link I28 and therefore the rod I is also rotatably actuated.

The rotative actuation of the said rod I20 in turn drives or actuates the driving sprocket 88 thereby moving the endless conveyor 92. The blades are projected from the said housing at the forward end thereof, through the slot 88. This action mows grass, weeds, flora and the like.

In the event that an obstacle is encountered, the sides of the said frame will strike the same rather than the said wheels I8 and I8. Also, the present inventions utility renders it possible to cut grass, weeds and the like a width equal to the width of the entire mower. There is no loss in this operation in that the blades reach a distance substantially as wide as the device itself.

While there has been described and illustrated but a preferred form of the invention, it is apparent that variations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. Accordingly, limitation is sought only in accordance with the scope of the following claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A power mower comprising a frame having opposed recesses in the sides thereof, wheels journalled in the recesses, a shaft journalled on said frame, means for motivating said shaft, a pin secured to said frame, an arm pivoted on said pin, a housing secured to said arm and ground engaging rollers secured to said housing. a flexible conveyor in said housing having blades secured thereto, means carried by said housing for journalling said conveyor, means for drivingly connecting said conveyor and said shaft, said connecting means including a hollow shaft rotatively secured to said frame, a link slidably positioned in said hollow shaft and drivingly connected therewith, means for connecting said link with said conveyor, said last mentioned means comprising a sprocket iournalled in said housing having a non-circular aperture centrally thereof, a non-circular rod slidably positioned in said non-circular aperture, a universal joint connecting said link and said rod. I

2. A power mower comprising a frame having wheels carried thereby, a shaft journalled on said frame, means for motivating said shaft, a pin secured to said frame, an arm pivoted on said pin, a housing secured to said arm and ground engaging rollers secured to said housing, a flexible conveyor in said housing having blades'secured thereto, means carried by said housing for journalling said conveyor, means for drivingly;

connecting said conveyor and said shaft, a caster secured to said frame, and said caster, wheels and rollers forming a five point suspension.

3. In a power mower which includes a frame having wheels carried thereby, a housing having power operated blades mounted for movement therein, means carried by, said frame for operating said blades, means for drivingl connecting said operating means and said blades, the immower is being actuated, a pair of perches I30 provement which comprises: means for attaching laid housing to said frame and including a universal joint attached to said frame at substantially the center thereof, and an arm attached to said universal joint and said housing whereby said housing is attached to said frame for movement to compensate for depressions and rises on the around.

4. A power mower comprising a frame which has wheels attached adjacent opposite sides thereof, a cutter, a housing supporting said cutter, means mounting said housing at the forward end of said frame fOr vertical movement independent of the movement of the frame including apin attached to said frame at substantially the center of the frame, an arm pivoted intermediate its ends to said pin, the ends of said arm being attached to said housing by means of a I pivotal connection.

FLOYD M. APPLE. REFERENCES cI'rEn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

